William Parente
Encyclopedia
William M. Parente was a New York
real estate
attorney
who came into the spotlight following the murders of his wife and two daughters and his suicide
. At the time, he was also under investigation by the FBI for an alleged Ponzi scheme
.
to Willie and Roccolyn Parente; the elder Parente was a New York State Police
trooper. The younger William Parente grew up in Bay Ridge as an only child, summering with his family in Long Beach
. Parente graduated Brooklyn College
and Brooklyn Law School
, assisted by Anthony J. Russo, an uncle who paid his tuition to both institutions.
Parente married Betty Mazzarella in 1977. After becoming a member of the New York bar, Parente joined a Wall Street
law partnership, moving into a private practice in 1988 after discovering his wife was pregnant with their first child. After moving to Garden City, New York
, Parente and family returned frequently to his old Brooklyn neighborhood for local delicacies, staying in touch with old friends, visiting his mother, and remembering his childhood Halloweens by returning to the same neighborhood with his two daughters each year for trick or treat.
Late in his legal career, Parente was involved in making what he called "bridge loans."
"He essentially worked as a bank," reported a friend, making comparatively high-risk loans to projects pending permit approval.
In order to fund those loans, he allegedly drew on assets from investments for which he had responsibility. When at least one investor called asking for money back, Parente could neither immediately return the funds, nor successfully explain his inability to do so.
hotel in Towson, Maryland
. Police were called. The bodies were identified to be those of William Parente, 59, of Garden City, Long Island
, his wife Betty Mazzarella Parente (born February 6, 1951), and their daughters Stephanie, 19, and Catherine, 11. Stephanie was a student at Loyola College. The cause of death was found to be asphyxiation. It was later found that Parente had purchased a knife after killing his family.
Around midnight, after the murders of Betty and their daughters, Stephanie's roommate had called the room at the Sheraton to check on her. Parente answered the phone, and replied that Stephanie had been staying there. He was believed at the time by Stephanie's roommate, who was unaware that Stephanie was already dead. That roommate later reported that Parente sounded "odd" over the phone, and did not sound like himself. Parente is believed to have killed himself some time on Monday morning. Hotel staff noticed that the Parentes did not check out on Monday, and there was concern from Loyola College about Stephanie not showing up that day.
According to the information learned in the financial investigation, $245,000 in checks Parente had written to investors had bounced, leading to complaints to the New York attorney general's office. Some investors reported following his death that they had "lost millions."
The FBI investigation, which is considered to be separate from that of the murders and suicide, is ongoing.
in less than a week. The other one was that of Christopher Wood of Middletown
, which had occurred on April 16. The two events, having been in such close chronological and geographic proximity, highlighted in the media the topic of familicide
and suicide
resulting from economic troubles.
The funeral service for Willam Parente was separate from that for the remaining members of his family.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
who came into the spotlight following the murders of his wife and two daughters and his suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. At the time, he was also under investigation by the FBI for an alleged Ponzi scheme
Ponzi scheme
A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to its investors from their own money or the money paid by subsequent investors, rather than from any actual profit earned by the individual or organization running the operation...
.
Life and career
William Michael Parente was born in Bay Ridge, BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
to Willie and Roccolyn Parente; the elder Parente was a New York State Police
New York State Police
The New York State Police is the state police force of over 4,600 sworn Troopers for the state of New York. It was established on April 11, 1917 by the New York Legislature, in response to the 1913 murder of a construction foreman named Sam Howell in Westchester County, which at that time did not...
trooper. The younger William Parente grew up in Bay Ridge as an only child, summering with his family in Long Beach
Long Beach, New York
Long Beach is a city in Nassau County, New York. Just south of Long Island, it is located on Long Beach Barrier Island, which is the westernmost of the outer barrier islands off Long Island's South Shore. As of the United States 2010 Census, the city population was 33,275...
. Parente graduated Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York, United States.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New...
and Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn Law School is a law school located in Brooklyn Heights, in Downtown Brooklyn, New York.-History:Founded in 1901 by William Payson Richardson and Norman P. Heffley, Brooklyn Law School was the first law school on Long Island. Using space provided by Heffley’s business school, the law...
, assisted by Anthony J. Russo, an uncle who paid his tuition to both institutions.
Parente married Betty Mazzarella in 1977. After becoming a member of the New York bar, Parente joined a Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
law partnership, moving into a private practice in 1988 after discovering his wife was pregnant with their first child. After moving to Garden City, New York
Garden City, New York
Garden City is a village in the town of Hempstead in central Nassau County, New York, in the United States. It was founded by multi-millionaire Alexander Turney Stewart in 1869, and is located on Long Island, to the east of New York City, from mid-town Manhattan, and just south of the town of...
, Parente and family returned frequently to his old Brooklyn neighborhood for local delicacies, staying in touch with old friends, visiting his mother, and remembering his childhood Halloweens by returning to the same neighborhood with his two daughters each year for trick or treat.
Late in his legal career, Parente was involved in making what he called "bridge loans."
"He essentially worked as a bank," reported a friend, making comparatively high-risk loans to projects pending permit approval.
In order to fund those loans, he allegedly drew on assets from investments for which he had responsibility. When at least one investor called asking for money back, Parente could neither immediately return the funds, nor successfully explain his inability to do so.
The murders
On April 20, 2009, the bodies of four people were found by staff at a SheratonSheraton Hotels and Resorts
Sheraton Hotels and Resorts is Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's largest and second oldest brand . Starwood's headquarters are in White Plains, New York.-Sheraton history:...
hotel in Towson, Maryland
Towson, Maryland
Towson is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 at the 2010 census...
. Police were called. The bodies were identified to be those of William Parente, 59, of Garden City, Long Island
Garden City, New York
Garden City is a village in the town of Hempstead in central Nassau County, New York, in the United States. It was founded by multi-millionaire Alexander Turney Stewart in 1869, and is located on Long Island, to the east of New York City, from mid-town Manhattan, and just south of the town of...
, his wife Betty Mazzarella Parente (born February 6, 1951), and their daughters Stephanie, 19, and Catherine, 11. Stephanie was a student at Loyola College. The cause of death was found to be asphyxiation. It was later found that Parente had purchased a knife after killing his family.
Timeline of murders
Police believe that each of the murders took place at a different time. Betty was believed to be the first victim, having been killed some time during the day on April 19. Catherine was believed to have been killed soon after. Both victims were laid on a bed in the room. Stephanie, a speech-language pathology major, was believed to have been killed later on Sunday after she had left the Loyola campus for a visit from her family that had surprised her. Her roommates were also surprised because she had been studying for a chemistry exam to be taken the following day.Around midnight, after the murders of Betty and their daughters, Stephanie's roommate had called the room at the Sheraton to check on her. Parente answered the phone, and replied that Stephanie had been staying there. He was believed at the time by Stephanie's roommate, who was unaware that Stephanie was already dead. That roommate later reported that Parente sounded "odd" over the phone, and did not sound like himself. Parente is believed to have killed himself some time on Monday morning. Hotel staff noticed that the Parentes did not check out on Monday, and there was concern from Loyola College about Stephanie not showing up that day.
Motive
The motive was believed to be Parente's financial difficulties and a pending investigation against him. It was learned by Baltimore County Police while they were investigating the crime that Parente was also being investigated by the FBI for a scheme in which investors were potentially defrauded out of $20 million. In particular, a complaint had been made against Parente for the alleged loss of $450,000.According to the information learned in the financial investigation, $245,000 in checks Parente had written to investors had bounced, leading to complaints to the New York attorney general's office. Some investors reported following his death that they had "lost millions."
The FBI investigation, which is considered to be separate from that of the murders and suicide, is ongoing.
Response
The case was one of two familicides in MarylandMaryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
in less than a week. The other one was that of Christopher Wood of Middletown
Middletown, Maryland
Middletown is a town in Frederick County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,668 at the 2000 census. Middletown is a small, rural community steeped in American history...
, which had occurred on April 16. The two events, having been in such close chronological and geographic proximity, highlighted in the media the topic of familicide
Familicide
A familicide is a type of murder or murder-suicide in which at least one spouse and one or more children are killed; or in which a parent or parents and possibly other relatives such as siblings and grandparents are killed. In some cases all of the family members' lives are taken...
and suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
resulting from economic troubles.
The funeral service for Willam Parente was separate from that for the remaining members of his family.